Hailes subsequently traveled to China, Cambodia, Malaysia, India, Peru and Brazil — all to find out how how hair extensions are really sourced, processed and why women were actually selling their hair. All with the goal of uncovering the truth about the extensions market from a global perspective, a press release sent to A Plus explains.

In China, Hailes watched "fallen hair" — hair from the scraps of hair salons — being soaked in germ-killing acid, Refinery29 reports. They were later mixed with synthetic fibers by factory workersand labeled as Brazilian or Indian hair.

In India, she visited a temple where people of all ages were shaving hair as a religious sacrifice. The hair was later collected and auctioned off to middlemen who resell it directly to factories in China.

"To have so much faith that I'm going to cut my hair, cut my children's hair, because I believe they're going to be blessed by God — they have no idea where their hair is going," Hailes said.

In some countries selling your hair is a means of survival.

"Because no food for eat," a man explains in the documentary's trailer below. "She feel very bad [about cutting her hair.]"